


you touch my pain (be good to me I pray)

by 5ftjewishcactus



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Aziraphale's Bookshop (Good Omens), Caring Aziraphale (Good Omens), Chronic Pain, Chubby Aziraphale (Good Omens), Couch Cuddles, Crowley Has Chronic Pain (Good Omens), Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Love, No Sex, No Smut, Other, Post-Almost Apocalypse (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26796541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5ftjewishcactus/pseuds/5ftjewishcactus
Summary: While helping Aziraphale re-arrange the bookshop, Crowley has a flair up of the chronic pain he's suffered ever since the fall. He opens up to Aziraphale, who takes care of him.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 170
Collections: Aspec-friendly Good Omens, GO-DIWS Prompt Sprints





	you touch my pain (be good to me I pray)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Do It With Style servers Prompt Sprints. Based on a selected prompt, each person has a set amount of time to write as many words based on the prompt. I wrote this one for the prompt "sleepy bed cuddles" though I changed it to "sleepy couch cuddles" 
> 
> I decided to write it as Crowley having chronic pain because I have a bad hip from a car accident when I was younger that wasn't treated properly so many days I just wanna curl up and do nothing because it hurts too much. Sadly, I do not have a warm, soft angel to cuddle. But Crowley does and gets to.

It had started because Crowley had been helping Aziraphale re-arrange the bookshop. One of the things no one ever spoke about, at least no one in Hell that Crowley ever interacted with, was that the Fall had hurt. A lot. And sometimes those pains would come and go, sort of like a human might experience with joint or muscle injuries. Most days Crowley would forget that the pain ever existed, go about his day, snaking his body around like it wasn’t designed to do. And that was fine. 

Other days… Other days, he’d end up in pain from any move, wrong or otherwise, and spend most of his time curled into bed waiting for it to pass. Usually, he’d have had warning that the pain was coming. In the days leading up to the pain, he’d feel a twinge here or there. But he’d also been busier. Less… relaxed and settled. Following the failed apocalypse, Crowley was free to spend his days with Aziraphale. Most days were spent at either the bookshop or his flat, just enjoying each other’s company. Being able to sit together, curled together, arms wrapped around the other. Doing all the things they hadn’t let themselves have until now. 

On this particular day, Aziraphale had gotten a wild hair that the bookshop needed to be re-arranged. He hadn’t done it since… well since ever, really. Same bookshop, same layout, same dust since 1800. He’d only acquired more books, more furniture, more Crowley. So together, they worked to move books and shelves, all to Aziraphale’s liking. 

As Crowley bent down to pick up a particular stack of books, his back twinged and he winced, hissing from the pain. 

“No. No no no no,” he muttered under his breath as he carefully stood back up. 

The twinge increased, moving further up his back and along his hips, the pain radiating out. Crowley hissed again, louder this time, unable to contain it. He leaned heavily against the bookshelf in front of him and tried to stretch, hoping to ease the pain. He shifted his left hip and more pain flared, causing him to cry out.

“Crowley?!” Aziraphale called from the other side of the bookshop. “Are you alright?”

“I’m… fine, angel,” Crowley lied, even as he stood, hands going to his lower back. 

Standing hurt, but bending hurt more. He took a deep breath and another and then made to move towards the couch. His left hip ached, pain shooting up and down his leg, making his knee buckle. 

“Fuck,” he shouted, involuntarily, as he barely managed to catch himself against the bookshelf. 

This time, Aziraphale was by his side, before he could even blink. 

“Crowley, darling, what’s wrong?” Aziraphale asked, hand outreached to touch but unsure if he could or should. 

“It’s…” Crowley said the lie on his tongue. But Aziraphale’s eyes were full of concern and Crowley couldn’t lie to him. Not now. “This happens, sometimes. Remnant from the Fall.”

“Oh. Oh, Crowley. Why didn’t you ever say anything?” 

Crowley shrugged and then winced, regretting the movement. “Couch?” he said, in lieu of a reply. 

“Of course.” Aziraphale carefully placed one hand against Crowley’s back and held out the other for Crowley to hold. 

Carefully, they made their way to the couch and eased Crowley down. Lying down wasn’t too much better, pain-wise, but it was significantly better than when he was standing. Crowley suspected it had something to do with his snake form, that his mortal corporation translated the pain into an attack on his limbs and joints and bones that didn’t exist for a snake. He’d never actually attempted to transform into his snake form, see if the pain eased up, mainly because he was afraid it wouldn’t and then he’d be in pain and stuck in his snake form and that just wasn’t something he wanted to deal with. 

Aziraphale continued to fuss over him, trying to help him by bringing pillows and blankets for him. 

“Angel, love, please don’t worry,” Crowley said, as Aziraphale tucked him in. 

“I don’t know what else to do.”

“Sit with me?”

Aziraphale wrung his hands in front of his plump belly. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t. If anything, your softness and warmth will comfort me. Please.”

Aziraphale fidgeted a few more minutes before giving in and settling himself on the couch with Crowley, the demon’s legs draped across his lap. Crowley grinned at him and held out his hand, which Aziraphale gladly held. 

“You said ‘Remnant from the Fall.’ Does that mean, you’ve been experiencing this pain ever since?” 

Crowley nodded. “Yeah. It’s not all the time. Usually comes and goes. Sometimes I can go whole years without it. Other times, it’ll be weeks at a time.”

Aziraphale squeezed his hand and looked down at his lap. 

“Oh bother,” he muttered, wiping at his cheek with his other hand.

“Angel,” Crowley said, giving Aziraphale’s hand in his a squeeze. “It’s alright.”

“But you’re the one in pain and here I am crying because I didn’t know.”

“Because I didn’t tell you. Which I didn’t do because I was scared. I didn’t want you to think any less of me.”

Aziraphale looked at Crowley again. “How could I ever think any less of you, dearest? Carrying all of this, on your own. All these years. You are so strong and resilient.”

Crowley shook his head. “I’m really not. I slept most of the 19th century because of how much pain I was in. It was easier to sleep than try to face it.”

“Oh, dearheart. I wish I could’ve been there for you, then.”

“Me too.”

“What can I do for you now?”

“Will you hold me?”

Aziraphale nodded. Crowley pulled his legs up so Aziraphale could stand up again and then he carefully shifted forward so the angel could sit behind him. He leaned into Aziraphale’s side, as strong, thick angel arms wrapped around him. The warmth radiating off of Aziraphale actually helped to ease some of the pain, especially in his spine and hips where they rested against Aziraphale’s rotund belly. He put his head against Aziraphale’s chest. Aziraphale made sure he was tucked back into the blankets and that the rest of him was comfortable with pillows. 

“Anything else, dearheart?” Aziraphale asked, brushing the hair away from Crowley’s forehead.

“Nope. Just this. You being here, this helps.”

“Good.”

Crowley smiled and nuzzled his cheek against Aziraphale’s vest and tucked his head under Aziraphale’s lovely double chin. Aziraphale wrapped his arm around Crowley again, holding him tightly in the circle of his arms, as the demon began to quietly doze off. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me on tumblr [@5ftjewishcactus](https://5ftjewishcactus.tumblr.com/) or on twitter on my main [@5ftjewishcactus](https://twitter.com/5ftjewishcatus) or on my sfw gen fandom [@2ambiace](https://twitter.com/2ambiace) or my dbh [@asexualhankcon](https://twitter.com/asexualhankcon).


End file.
